Wale Igbintade
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court that sat in Lagos yesterday ordered Cece Yara Foundation to produce in court the two daughters of an Associate Professor of the University of Lagos, Mr. Adebisi Arewa.
The judge ordered that the children be produced in court on August 25 to enable her have an interface with them to find out about their wellbeing.
Justice Taiwo said that the order became necessary to enable her speak with the children in her chambers, and allow them to speak freely for themselves.
The judge stated that she ought to have made the order earlier, but that it escaped her notice.
Arewa, who appeared for himself during the ruling, had told the court that his children are not properly catered for and that they are being provided with second-hand clothes in the custody of Cece Yara Foundation, when they are the children of a “professor of Law.”
He said that the last time he saw his children was in May 2022 and alleged that the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is using his influence with the school where his children are attending in persecuting his person.
He further told the court that the mother of the children, a banker is not capable of caring for the children due to her work and that he remained the best person to cater for the children, who are seven and 10 years respectively.
He said that the children are not disturbed and that they should be handed over to him and that they are doing fine in their school.
Arewa had sued in behalf of himself and his two children, (names withheld) against the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice.
Other respondents are the Director of Public Prosecution, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Executive Secretary, Domestic and Sexual Violence Team in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. O. A Olayinka, Chief Magistrate of Lagos State, O.T Odumole, Principal Social Welfare Officer, Yaba, Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
In the suit, the professor is seeking six reliefs, among which is an order of immediate release of the applicants to their parents, and an order quashing the forensic interview so long as it disparages the interest of the minors purportedly conducted by Cece Yara Foundation without the consent and participation of the parents.
He urged the court to declare the forensic interview illegal, void and of no effect.
The Cece Foundation took custody of the children over allegation that Mr. Adebisi Arewa is having carnal knowledge of his two daughters and for his refusal to release the children for forensic examination.
In 2019, Cece Yarah during an advocacy visit, noticed that one of the children had been physically molested, wrote the Ministry of Youths and Social Development that the child be taken into protective custody.
However, in a twist of event, a driver in UNILAG Staff School, one Abiodun Matthew, was accused of defiling the minor and is presently serving life imprisonment term at Kirikiri.
